Side opening filing cabinet



- May 27, 1969 I J. D HORLACHER 3.

7 SIDE OPENING FILI'NG CABINET Filed April 5, 1967 Sheet of s INVENTOR Jose-4w 0. Hanna BY J. D. HORLACHER SIDE OPENING FILING CABINET May 27, 1969 Sheet 2 of3 Filed April 5, 1967 E- INVENTOR Jose! 0. flaamcuu med A ril 5} 1967 J. o. HORLACHER 3,446,545

SIDE OPENING FILING CABINET Sheet 3 0:3

FIG. I7

FIG. l9

Bel

FIG. 20

INVENTOR Jose/w D. Ham/acne:

. M Z ATTORNEY United States Patent U.S. C]. 312-311 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In the file disclosed herein the drawers are shelves that pull out from the side rather than from the front as in a regular upright filing cabinet. This has the advantage of providing more aisle space in ofiices by placing the file in lateral position and gain more capacity since the drawers can be placed on a greater number of levels in the same manner as open shelving, thereby giving standup access to a greater number of levels. Regular upright fi1es,-on the other hand, are limited to a stack five drawers high for stand-up access. With a greater number of drawers it is necessary to use a stepladder since access is from the top of the drawer.

' This invention relates to files and, more particularly, to filing cabinets of the side opening type.

In the invention disclosed herein the suspension used to roll out the drawer in the usual cabinet is eliminated by-using the opened door to support the drawer. This eliminates the expense of suspensions which are costly and it gives greater capacity in the files since the improved arrangement requires less space inside the filing unit. It also allows access from both front and back of the file since the drawer need not be limited in travel by suspension. Other advantages are also present.

The device disclosed herein can'be used as a single acces file and on front opening upright files.

Side opening ,files are used to hold records in various arrangements. The records may be in a lateral arrangement, loose'betweenindexes and dividers, placed in folders, in hanging folders, cross file arrangement-in rows, in suspended folders, in removable trays, and the like. The foregoing applies to letter and legal size material. A stand ard opening may be used for two or more levels of records behind the same door. The'drawer may be used simply to hold bolt m'aterials,'such as reels oftape (another form of record information). i f g The case may be of standard size for all of the arrangements. The door support hingeand support can be any one of several standard arrangements but several arrangements maybe provided in the drawer and its mounting. The drawer maybe either lateral with slotted bottom and divider plate to hold records or folders, lateral with slotted bottom or divider plates and compressor, lateral with rails for hanging folders, cross file with divided rows for records or folders, cross file with rails for hanging folders, and single shelf to hold reels.

'The drawer may'besupported by means of anti-friction glides or it maybe supported on rollers. Therollermay be mounted on the drawer or on the frame or carriage or any combinationof the above supports may be. used with both'drawer and carriage.

.Several levels of drawers can be used, the upper level may roll out on a rectangular platform, for example, on top of a rear frame or a rear door if double access is desired. 7 I

It is'accordingly an object of the invention toprovide an improved filling cabinet. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved drawer supportin a :filing cabinet.

3,446,545 Patented May 27, 1969 It is another object of the invention to provide a filing cabinet which has a high capacity for gross volume of containers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a filing cabinet which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple and efficient to use.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of-the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment'of the filing cabinet according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a partial view of another embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 3 is a partial view of yet another embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 4 is a view of another embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 5 is a view of yet another embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 6 is a view of yet another embodiment of the invention,

FIGS. 7 through 19 are partial views of other em'bodiments of the invention.

Now with more particular reference to the drawings, the filing cabinet shown has a case 10 with a top 11 and sides 12, front doors 13 and 14 and 15, andrear doors indicated at v13', 14, and 15. The doors have handles 16 and 18 shown and suitable card spacers may be provided. The doors are hinged to the casing by means of hinges shown and the doors may swing downwards to a horizontal position limited by bracket 19 that has a slot shown therein. One end of the brackets 19 are fixed to the door while the other end glides adjacent the ends 12 of the cabinet has a slot 21 that receives a pintel fixed to thecabinet.

The drawer 22 has guide means by way of rollers 24 on axles fixed to the drawer which are received in slots 21 in the drawer 13 and 13'. The drawers have ends 25 and bottoms 27. The drawer shown in FIG. '1 has suitable divider plates to hold records,'folders, or the like.

In the embodiment of theinvention-shown in FIG. 2, the front door 113 is supported to the cabinet "by means of suitable hinge and a bracket 119 issh'own which limits the downward swinging movement of the door. A drawer 122 has ends 125 and bottom 127 having slots'121 which receive therollers 124 of the drawer. Bars 118 and are fixed to the end and extend laterally and spaced above the'bot'tom 127. The separators 130 have hooks on the end that slide on the bars in a conventional manner.

In the embodiment of the invention shownin FIG. 3, the case 210 has end 212 and door 213 hinged to it and limited in the swinging movement by bracket 219. The drawer 222 has a front member 226 that extends from one end to the other and connects the ends 225. The'rol lers 224 are fixed to the ends of the drawer and roll in a slot 221 in the door. i

In the embodiment of the invention-shown in FIG. 4, the drawer 322 is shown having sides 325 and end 326; The drawer hassuitable handle 327 by which it may be lifted ofi? of the door of the rollers 324 roll'in a suitable slot in the door.

The drawer shown is recessed at 317 and a rod 332 ex tends through the recess shown. The rollers 324 are in. the downwardly facing recesses indicated in dotted lines.

In the embodiment-of the invention shown in FIG. 5, a drawer 422 is shown having sides 425 and ends 426.

A handle 427 is provided and the sides and ends are supported-on a frame 430 to which the rollers 424 are attached. These rollers ride in a track 432 on the cabinet.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 6, a drawer 522 is shown having sides 525 and ends 526. The cabinet has rollers 524 in it and a door 513 is hinged at 518 to the cabinet. Rollers 532 are fixed to the door and they, like rollers 524, roll on the bottom of the drawer as the drawer moves over them. The stop 533 is fixed to the front, rear or side of the door 513 to limit the forward movement of the drawer 522.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 7, the drawer 613 may have its bottom supported on the door similar to the doors in the other embodiments of the invention and the ends 625 are guided in and out of the cabinet 610 by rollers 632.

FIG. 8 shows a schematic top view of the embodiment of FIG. 7 when the rollers 632 are fixed to the inside of the filing case and they roll along side 625 of the drawer 613.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 9 shows a door having a raised portion 725 acting as a guide for rollers 724 on which a drawer 714 is supported. The drawer has the rollers 724 attached to each side and these rollers roll along a track defined by a raised portion 725 on the door.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 9a shows a door 813 having a slot 814 in the center which may receive a suitable guide on the center bottom of a drawer.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 10, the door 910 has a raised rib 911 on one side and a raised rib 912 on the other side, which receives the wheels 914. These wheels are supported on the drawer 916 on axles 917.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 11, a door 350 has groove 351 at each side and these receive the bottom of wheels 358 on which are supported on a drawer 359 by axles 357.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 12, a side view of a door 459 which has a drawer 448 with rollers 447 attached to the drawer 448 and a stop 454 is attached to the front or rear in an offset position on both sides of the drawer 459 and limits the forward and backward movement of the drawer on the door.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 13 shows a drawer which may be rolled over a door 555 suitably hinged to a cabinet and having a lug 556 at the intermediate part thereof. The block 556 could be made of anti-friction material such as Teflon or other suitable plastic so that it can be used both as a guide and as a stop when engaging the slot in the bottom of a drawer such as slot 814 if this member 813 in FIG. 9a were at the bottom of a drawer and the slot were facing downward.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 14, the drawer is shown having the sides 611 that have the upper ends bent outward and downward. They extend downward and are then bent back on themselves at 612 and thereby form a flange to which the rollers 613 may be attached. The bottom can have a groove to receive an index card retainer rod formed by bending the material on the bottom downward at 622 and then laterally at 623 then up as shown.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 15, the wheels 760 are attached to the flanges 761 by means of a rod 762 that extends through the wheels 760 and through the wheels 763. The wheels 763 are disposed below the bottom 765 of the drawer as well as on the top of the door 767.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 16, the drawer 862 is supported on a door 863 by means of rollers 864 attached to the flanges shown on drawer 862. A rail 867 is attached to each side of the drawer and this rail rolls over the top of rollers 866 that are fixed to the inside of the cabinet 869.

The rollers may be attached to the outside of flanges 861 as shown in the front view in FIG. 17. These rollers 864' will not support a load when the drawer rolls into the cabinet but rather the load would be supported on the bars 867 and the rollers 866 as shown in FIG. 16.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 18, the cabinet 961 has the sides 962 that extend downward and a door 963 when open supports the tray 965 by means of wheels 967 that are attached to the downwardly extending members 972 on the tray 965. The wheels 967 can be attached to the flanges as shown by means of suitable axles. Thus, the upper tray 965 can be moved over the top of the lower tray 973 which may themselves be moved in and out.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 19, the casing 582 is provided with a suitable drawer therein similar to those in the other embodiments. The drawer is indicated at 583 and it has downwardly extending sides 584 which has the lower wedge-shaped ends 585 that are slidably received in the V-shaped grooves in the top of the slidable members 587. Thus, the wheels 588 are slidable over the top of the door on the inside of the cabinet as in the other embodiments of the invention. Thus, the top part of the drawer 583 can be slid along the top of the members 587 or the entire drawer can be rolled on rollers 588 and the trays 592 can be moved out independently.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 20, a filing cabinet 980 is shown having a door 981 that is hinged at the front of the file and has a limiting bracket 982. The tray 983 is carried on rollers 984 which roll in tracks 985 inside the filing cabinet. These rollers are attached to the tray 983, thus, the tray 983 can be pulled forward out of the filing cabinet onto the door 981.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A filing cabinet comprising a casing,

said casing having an opening,

a door hinged to the bottom of said opening and swingable upward to completely close said opening,

a drawer,

said drawer having a bottom and vertically extending platelike ends attached to said bottom and extending upwardly therefrom and adapted to receive filing folders between said ends and being movable from a position inside said casing to a position on top of said door,

means to limit the downward swing of said door to retain said door with its upper side when open in a horizontal position,

glider means on said upper side of said door,

glider means on said drawer cooperating with said glider means on said door when said drawer is pulled from inside said casing on top of said door whereby said drawer is supported by said door. 2. The filing cabinet recited in claim 1 wherein said means on said door comprises tracks on each side thereof extending from the side said door is hinged to said cabinet forwardly when said door is open,

and glider means on said cabinet cooperating with glide means on said cabinet whereby said drawer may be moved to closed position.

3. The filing cabinet recited in claim 1 wherein said drawer has spaced bars attached to each end and extending from side to side to receive hooks supporting folders.

4. The filing cabinet recited in claim 3 wherein spaced rods extending through said flanges and across said drawer from side to side,

wheels on said rods,

some said wheels being disposed substantially halfway between said sides, the periphery of same said wheels engaging the bottom of said drawer.

5. The filing cabinet recited in claim 2 wherein said glider means comprises a block of anti-friction material attached to one of said door and said drawer and a groove in the other of said door and said drawer receiving said block of anti-friction material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Diack 312-341 XR Peglow 312-311 Parmet 3-12-340 Erismann 312-3 11 Murray 312-184 Bebinger 312-311 FOREIGN PATENTS France.

US. Cl. X.R. 

